A teenager typed an insult on their phone and prepared to publish it.
asserted
teenager → type → it
Before hitting send, the screen would ask if they were sure they wanted to say that to the other person.
asserted
they → hit → person
Trisha Mahajan was just 13 years old when she developed a mobile keyword that identified offensive messages before posting.
asserted
that → develop → messages
Today, she has taken her dream further creating a non-profit organisation against cyberbullying and receiving support from across the globe.
asserted
she → take → globe
The story was reported by The Harvard Crimson, a student-run newspaper at Harvard University.
asserted
story → report → University
For the teenager, it all stemmed from a personal experience.
asserted
it → stem → experience
She had already faced cyberbullying when she learned about the case of Rebecca Sedwick, a student who died by suicide after enduring relentless virtual attacks.
asserted
who → face → attacks
Sedwick was just a year younger than Prabhu and the close age made her realise the urgency of the issue.
asserted
her → make → issue
“I remember reading that story and thinking something’s wrong here,” Prabhu said.
asserted
Prabhu → remember → story
“Something is very wrong with our internet, with what it’s become, and what we are sending young people into when they get a phone.”
asserted
they → become → phone
At the time, most common methods of prevention stemmed from the victim.
asserted
methods → stem → victim
But Prabhu decided to flip the question and asked if one could reach the attacker before the harm was caused.
uncertain
harm → decide → attacker
The idea gave rise to ReThink, essentially asking the person to rethink.
asserted
idea → give → person
When it identifies a potentially offensive phrase, the system presents an alert and encourages the user to reconsider what they wrote before sending or publishing it.
asserted
they → identify → it
ReThink functions as a keyboard installed on the phone.
asserted
ReThink → function → phone
When it identifies a potentially offensive phrase, the system presents an alert and encourages the user to reconsider what they wrote before sending or publishing it.
asserted
they → identify → it
The app does not mandatorily block the message or take away the user’s final decision.
asserted
app → block → decision
It merely interrupts the automatic gesture for a few moments.
asserted
It → interrupt → moments
The person can still return to the text, delete the offence, or proceed with the publication.
asserted
person → return → publication
It treats the message as a decision that can still be corrected and offers an immediate opportunity to avoid regret.
asserted
that → treat → regret
The initial experiment compared teenagers' reactions to aggressive messages with and without the alert.
asserted
experiment → compare → alert
Without the pause, 71% showed willingness to send the content.
asserted
% → show → content
But after the alert, only 4% maintained that decision.
asserted
% → maintain → decision
The concept grew out of Prabhu's original research, work that made her a 2013 Google Science Fair finalist at the age of 13.
asserted
her → grow → 13
The Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper at Harvard University, reported that young people stopped sending an offensive message in over 93% of instances when prompted to reconsider.
asserted
people → report → instances
On October 29, 2020, the app had already amassed over 500,000 downloads.
asserted
app → amass → downloads
The organisation had also worked with 5 million students, spread across more than 1,500 schools in 134 countries.
asserted
organisation → work → countries
She was invited to the White House, gave a TED Talk in India and received $100,000 in funding from Shark Tank investors.
asserted
She → invite → investors
In October 2020, she received the Elevate prize, a $300,000 award to put toward ReThink.
asserted
she → receive → ReThink
The competition chose ten winners overall from a pool of about 1,300 applicants who use their organisations to promote positive social change.
asserted
who → choose → change
What does Trisha Prabhu do now?
asserted
Prabhu → do → What
At 24, Prabhu still remains the Inventor, founder, and CEO of ReThink.
asserted
Prabhu → remain → ReThink
At 24, Prabhu still remains the Inventor, founder, and CEO of ReThink.
asserted
Prabhu → remain → ReThink
Since graduating from high school in 2018, she went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a Doctor of Law from Yale Law School.
asserted
she → graduate → School
In 2023, she started ReThink Citizens, a non-profit movement that tackles cyberbullying, promotes digital wellness, and empowers youth to build a kinder, more inclusive internet.
asserted
that → start → internet
She currently works as the Founder, President & CEO of the organisation.
asserted
She → work → organisation
The same year the movement received a $50,000 grant from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation through the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund.
asserted
movement → receive → Fund
The couple also video-called the founder to congratulate her and publicly champion the organisation's work.
asserted
couple → call → work
Prabhu also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors at the non-profit organisation Carson J. Bride Effect that protects kids from the changing world of technology.
asserted
that → serve → technology
She shines as an example of just how much change a single motivated person can make for a cause if they put all their effort and heart into it.
asserted
they → shin → it
The Aporia
